America’s health-care system has problems — all traceable to government intervention — but it could be worse. And if the so-called reform emerging in Congress is enacted, it will be worse.

The nub of the plan is that everyone must have health insurance and that all but the smallest employers should provide it. If someone doesn’t have coverage, he’ll be penalized. Low-income people will be subsidized by the taxpayers. Government will determine what’s covered, which will set off a lobbying frenzy by providers of “indispensable” services and products. (This already goes on in the states, where “mandated benefits” include coverage for drug and alcoholism treatment, in vitro fertilization, and other less-than-widely-used services.) So people will be forced to have coverage they may not want.

Insurers will not be able to deny coverage or charge higher premiums to people already ill, that is, with so-called pre-existing conditions. The mandate to insure everyone and charge the same price regardless of health means that some will be forced to subsidize others. People of whatever income level whose insurance premiums would have been lower without the mandate will have to spend more because risk-based premiums will be illegal. That is not insurance; it’s welfare. (Read more from campaignforliberty.com)

This entry was posted on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 4:35 pm and is filed under Healthcare, Post Office.